Valerie Katz
Posts by Valerie Katz
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Lawyer Advertising, Litigators, Litigatrix, Small Law Firms, Trials
Size Matters: Fancy Nancy Has A Message For You
Are you thinking about taking some branding advice from Fancy Nancy? Maybe you shouldn't. Small firm columnist Valerie Katz advises that you go call yourself a 'trial lawyer' as opposed to a 'litigator'.... -
Feminism, Gender, Small Law Firms, Women's Issues
Size Matters: Small Firms and (Hopefully) Strong Women
Does your small firm need a 'Den Mother' to support its female associates? Small firm columnist Valerie Katz explains why women-owned law firms are a good environment for women lawyers.... 
SponsoredEarly Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.-
Facebook, Small Law Firms, Social Networking Websites, Twittering
Size Matters: I Need A Hero
I always assumed that my youth (or quasi-youth) would guarantee me superstar status in connection with social media. I am not sure why I thought this, because my first foray into Facebook was a bit of a disaster. I was quite late to the party, joining years after I realized that everyone was doing it. […]
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Crime, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Size Matters: Yet Another Reason To Go Solo
Thinking of going solo? It's challenging, but not impossible. Small-firm columnist Valerie Katz finds inspiration for aspiring solos from an unlikely source. -
Associate Advice, Screw-Ups, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: To err is human, but you are a lawyer.
Okay, you've made a mistake. Everyone does. What's the best way of handling the situation? -
Billable Hours, Law Firm Mergers, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Small Firms Growing In This Economy
How are small law firms doing in a still-challenging economy? Better than you might expect, according to the results of a new survey. -
Small Law Firms, Technology
Size Matters: Time For An Exposé
Yesterday I was at a local coffee shop around the lunch hour. I spotted a man that I think was Morgan Spurlock. I am not positive that it was him, but he had red hair and the Horseshoe mustache. It is possible that I saw Danny Bonaduce, a mustached Alfred E. Neuman, or some other […] -
Boutique Law Firms, Fabulosity, Fashion, Fashion Is Fun, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: No White After Labor Day Is Not Fashion Law
I consider myself to be pretty fashionable. Indeed, I (like so many others) pray to the patron saint of fashion, the Duchess of Cambridge. I am well versed in the laws of fashion. For example: 1. Thou shalt not wear a romper after age 22. 2. Thou shalt wear white any season. 3. Khakis are […] 
SponsoredThe Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.-
Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Time To Get All Nancy Grace On You
It has been a while since I took the S.A.T, but here goes. Nancy Grace: Casey Anthony Verdict; Valerie Katz: ________. A. Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio; B. Biglaw Spring Bonuses; C. Closed Compensation Model in Small Firms; D. All of the above; E. None of the above. Correct Answer: C. I, like Ms. Grace about […] -
Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Small Firm Travels Great Distances
This weekend I watched the three-part Moroccan adventure on Real Housewives of New York. Each moment was more awkward than the next as I watched the worst clichés about Americans acted out on screen. I could not imagine a more inappropriate set up other than if Bravo had sent a group of small-firm lawyers to […] -
Job Searches, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Desperately Seeking Susan
Last week, I received an email from a recent graduate who is in the midst of a small firm job search. She is having trouble focusing her search because there are so many small law firms and so few resources (or so she thought) about how to find all the various firms. She wrote: Every […] -
Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Do Small Firms All Hope To Grow Big?
Being a Chicagoan, I am serious about my deep-dish pizza. I am so serious, in fact, that I recently went on a pizza tour. Along with six other people (all tourists for some unknown reason) and our guide (a curiously skinny pizza aficionado), we sampled a slice from three famous pizzerias. One of the restaurants […] -
Boutique Law Firms, Intellectual Property, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Trolls Could Save Your Business
Before I sat down to write this column, I thought I knew what trolls were. Answer: they are the men who I dated in law school. Apparently, that is only partially true. Trolls are also a potential revenue source for small firms. The term “patent trolls” is a controversial term with multiple meanings. According to […]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
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Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Job Searches, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Ice Is Not The Only One Who Loves Coco
It may be true that all happy families are alike while each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Based on my experience going undercover as V. Katz, I have come to learn that this is also true for associates (Biglaw and small). Based on the comments on the salary survey, there are many […] -
Job Survey, Money, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Salary Survey Results
I know that all of you have been anxiously awaiting the results of the salary survey. I had envisioned the results post to be equal in excitement to the results shows for American Idol or Dancing With The Stars. Indeed, in anticipation of this monumental post, I commissioned a group of MIT grad students to […] -
Advertising, Free Speech, Google / Search Engines, Lawyer Advertising, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: An Important Victory For Small-Firm Advertising
Law firm advertising is expensive and certain methods may be cost-prohibitive for small firms. For instance, a small firm may not be able to afford a television or print campaign. Enter online marketing including, among other things, Google AdWords and sponsored links. In 2009, a law firm filed a lawsuit in Wisconsin state court challenging […] -
Advertising, Lawyer Advertising, Small Law Firms, Television
Size Matters: Television Advertising -- Is It Worth It?
The other day, I was watching television and I saw several commercials advertising divorce firms and personal injury firms. One ad featured a scene of nursing home neglect, followed by dramatic music and terms like “BEDSORES,” flashed across the screen in all-caps. Another ad featured William Shatner asking me if I needed legal help. Two […] -
Associate Advice, Headhunters / Recruiters, Job Searches, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Why Some Small Firms And Small-Firm Lawyers Need Matchmakers
There is a neighborhood in Chicago that smells like chocolate. The reason is due to Blommer Chocolate Company’s Chicago factory. I have never been inside, but according to a documentary I once saw regarding chocolate factories, inside there is a chocolate river, Oompa Loompas, and an eccentric chocolatier. Much to my surprise, there was an […] -
Associate Advice, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Tips for Becoming A Small-Firm Superstar
I have become obsessed with LinkedIn lately (and not just because of their recent IPO). I am trying to become one of those people with the 500+ connections. So I troll the website for potential contacts on an hourly basis. Yesterday, I found a few guys with whom I had gone to law school. These […] -
Boutique Law Firms, Defamation, Entertainment Law, Litigators, Martin Garbus, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Hollywood Pit Bull Is Just Like Us
It has been said that one has truly arrived as a small-firm superstar when he appears in this column. Who said that? Someone, I am sure. While I simply cannot confer that honor to all small-firm attorneys, there is a second place honor: a feature in the New York Times. Martin Singer — the “guard […]
